Bottle-capping utensil



June 7,1927. 1,631,289

\ R. E. REARDON BCTTLE GAPPING UTENsIL Filed Ausl. 2. 1925 INVENTOR @M @QAM /Iwlm Patented June 7, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

BOTTLE-CAPPING UTENSIL.

Application led August 2,

My invention relates to improvements in bottle capping utensils and the object is to provide an inexpensive, readily manufactured capper that is simple in construction, effective in operation and so designed that the cap is pulled on to the bottle instead of being pushed on to same, thus obviating the possibility of breaking the head off the bottle by excessive pressure on the operating lever, a Yfault more or less inherent in a bottle neck gripping capper which has a cam mounted above the capping die. I attain the objects of my invention by the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims, it being understood that I do not intend to limit *myself to the details of construction or combination of parts as shown herein.

My invention is yillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a cornerwise side view of my bottle capper showing in full and dotted line the various parts in their respective positions as when the capper is first placed on a bottle and ready for operation.

Fig. 2 is a cornerwise side view of my bottle capper showing in full or dotted line the various parts in their respective positions as when the capper is in place on a bottle and the operating lever depressed to cause engagement with bottle neck and begin pull on the capping die.

In the drawings like numerals designate similar parts.

My capper may be made of die formed metal parts, or otherwise as deemed preferable, but as illustrated the device has all its parts, with the exception of rivets, molded of ordinary gray iron, an inexpensive material too rangible for bottle cappers of usual type but permissible in this device because oi the compact design and small, intershielding parts.

The capper is comprised cfa bell-like capping die member 1, the walls of which rise to form a handle 2 and descend vertically downward on opposite Sides of the mouth of the die proper in leg-like elongations 3 and 4, which pass through a horizontally disposed collar member 5 that is loosely mounted on said legs 3 and 4 by means of elongated slots as 6 formed in opposed side walls of the said collar member 5, which has an adjoining sector of Wall 8 adapted by circular recess to engage a bote 1926. Serial No. 126,429.

tle neck. In the sector of collar wall opposed to said circularly recessed sector 8 and normally supported horizontally by the upper edge oi. said wall is pivotally mounted an inversely recessed bottle-neckengaging Hap 9. This Hap is secured to collar member 5 by passing a rivet 10 through the flanged extension 12 on flap 9 and an ear 11 on collar member 5. The said flap 9 is tiltable upward to a right angle or greater from the upper margin of collar 5 by means of a rearward finger extension 12. Below the said collar 5 and rew taining and vertically supporting it on the die member legs 3 and 4, are pivotally mounted on said die member legs 3 and 4 by means of suitable rivets 13 and 14, the cam terminals as 15 of a forked cam lever member 17 having legs 18 and 19 which straddle said die member extensions 3 and 4, and ay handle end having. a hole 2O ad- `iacent its upper extremity. The said cam lever 17 being pivoted for vertical rotary movement bears upward with cams as 15 kagainst the under side ofcollar 5, which rests rockably thereon, limited in rocking and horizontal movement by the engagement of collar slots as 6 with die legs 3 and 4. When the cam lever 17 is raised towards its upward limit :of movement, adjoining handle 2 of die member 1, as it approaches said limit the heavier side ofl collar 5 on which flap 9 is mounted drops slant-ingly downward, as vreleased by the change in bearing of cams as 15, and throws the flap 9 out of engagement with the bottle neck, tilting theflap into upright position iffthe dropof collar 5 from horizontal is sufficient. When the cam lever 17 is fully raised towards handle 2, the cam legs 18 and 19 engage lateral extensions as 21 ot collar member 5 and move said collar member backward on cams as 15 until the margin'ot the bottle neck engaging recess 8 formed in the collar member is vertically clear of the mouth of the capping die above same. The placing of the ready capper on a bottle head without displacement of the cap thereon that is awaiting capping operation is'thus facilitated. In placing the capper on a bottle head whereon a cap has been put in position, it is immaterial whether or not the Hap 9 is up. If down, it will raise to pass over the cap without dislodging same, dropping into bottle neck engaging position.

To operate my bottle capping utensil the tle engaging position.

cam lever 17 is raised against die member handle 2, handle and lever being vheld one in either hand of the operator, and the collar 5 is thus positioned properly below the mouth of the capping die member 1 by pressure of cam legs 18 and 19 againsty projections as 21 of said collar member 5, the tlap 9 being either up er down, as desired. pre'licrably the latter. A cap being putin position on the bottle top, the capper is then placed down over same by one hand of the operator, the handle 2 and lever 17 being easily grasped together, and the flap 9, it down, automatically rises and 'falls into bot- Il' the Hap 9 is upright, a touch of the linger on its tail extension 12 'flips it into bottle'engaging place. The handle 2 being then held in one hand of the operator, the cam lever 17 is depressed by theother hand, thus bearing' cams as 15 upward against'collar 5A and forcing it into horizontalposition and against the bottle ,necln which 'engages they circular recess `formed by sector 8 of said collar and the oppositely recessed flap 9 mounted on the collar. Further depression of the cam lever 17 'rotates cams as 15 against collar 5 and pulls down the capping die member 1 upon the cap by means of the pivotal engagement of cam lever ,17 with the die member legs 3 and 4, until the cap is-pressed into engagement with the bottle top. rlhe cam lever 17 b'eing'then raised towards handle 2, the collar 5 descends slantingly as the cams change bearing thereon, and disengages the bottle neck through flap 9 -falling back from engagement therewith. Thetlap 9 having tilted to upright position or having been flipped to same by a touch of the operators finger on its rear extension 12, the cam lever 17 completes its return approach to the die'handle2 and moves collar 5 back to position ot clearance under the mouth or' capping die member 1, ready for repetition of use, upon removal of the capper tronithe bottle head. It may be noted here that the handle 2 being a rigid component ofthe capping diem'ember 1, the device is readily detached from the bottle head, even in event of the die `sticking to the cap thereon.

I claim:

1. A/clapping die member, a bottle gripping member mounted so as to permit movementltow'ards and away7 from said die member, a lever pivoted to one of said members below the top oft the die member and coacting means on the lever and lthe other member tocause movement of said members towards each other.

2. ln a bottle capper, a capping die with supporting means having bottle gripping ineens vertically movable ou same below the die moutl and a lever pivotally mounted below said die mouth on one oil saic means two means when the lever is rocked on its pivots. n

4. In a bottle capper, a capping die member having downward extensions, a collar mounted'on said extensions and vertically and laterally movable thereon, means carried by said collar :for gripping a bottle neck, and a cam lever mounted on saidextensi'ons and vertically rotatable against said collar.

5. In al bottle capper, a capping die member having Idownward extensions, bottle gripping means mounted on said extensions and vertically and laterally movable thereon. and a cam lever mounted pivotally on said extensions below and abutting said bottle gripping means 6. A bottle capper comprising a capping die having supporting means extending below the mouth of the die, bottle gripping means vertically slidable on said supporting means, a lever locatedbelow said die mouth, pivoted to one of said means andl ihaving parts to engage the other of said means so as to cause a relative movement of the two means when the-lever is rockedon its pivots.

7. A bottle capper comprising a capping die having a handle, downwardlyv extending supporting means carried by the die, a vertically movable bottle gripping member on said supporting means, and a lever pivoted to said means below said bottle gripping member and cams on said lever arranged to "press said member upwardly when said lever is rotated 'from Aa horizontal position.

ROBERT EDWIN REAR-DON. 

